Sign boaed



J. G. J ORY.

SIGN BOARD.

(No Model.) 7

Patented Sept. 2, 1884.

Fly-1 Inventor W 9? 131/ am (1% T Vz'tnesses:

Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

JOHN G. J ORY, OF BALTIMORE, DIARYLAND.

SIGN-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,652, dated September 2, 1884.

Application filed October 16, 1888.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN G. JORY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sign-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in wooden sign-boards, and will be described and then designated in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure l is a view of the back of a sign-board. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the sign-board. Fig. 3 is aview (larger scale) of the iron keeper for the batten.

The object of this invention is to provide wood sign-boards with improved means for preventing the board from warping or splitting, yet at the same time allowing the shrinkage of the wood.

The letter A designates the sig11-board,which may be composed of one, two, or more boards tongued and grooved and glued together, as usual. The line designated by the letter Z) indicates the joint between the boards. The grain or fibers of the wood of the sign-board, it will be understood, also runs in the direction of the line b. 1 As the shrinkage of this board is in adirection crosswise of the grain and the said line b, the desideratum is battens secured to the board by clamps in such manner as will permit the shrinkage to take place without rendering it liable to split, and which will at the same time prevent the board from warping. A batten, O, is placed lengthwise across the sign-board, and at the center of the batten a single bolt, d, is passed through it and through the board, the head of the bolt being on the outer side of the board and the nut d on the batten. This bolt is the only rigid fastening the batten has, and serves principally to prevent the batten from moving endwise. It also serves, when placed at the center, as here shown, to prevent the board from warping outward. A11 iron keeper, E, is employed to clamp each end of the batten O, as shown. The keeper consists of a wrought or cast iron band, forming a sort of pocket or loop to embrace three sides of the batten, in the manner (No model.)

similar to the keepers employed on harness for buckle'straps. At each side of the keeper is a flange, f, having aholc, g, for the passage of a bolt, which has its head on the outer side of the board, and the nut of which rests on the flange. By this means the keeper E is firmly fastened to the board, and each end of the batten is thereby held close to the board. Thus provided, the sign-board may shrink without liability of splitting, this result being attained by the fact that as the board narrows by shrinkage the two loop-keepers E slide 011 the batten toward each other. There being but a single rigid fastening between the board and batten, there is nothing to occasion a split in the board when shrinkage thereof takes place.

As many battens and keepers may be employed as the size of the sign-board requires. Sign-boards, bulletin-boards, and thelike may thus be made more durable, and the difficulty in respect thereto heretofore existing largely, if not entirely, overcome.

Having described myinvention, Iclaim and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination, with a sign-board, A, of a batten, 0, extending in a direction crosswise of the grain of the wood, and each end of the batten secured to the board by a loopkeeper, E, which is adapted to slide on the batten when the board shrinks, and a single bolt, (2, securing the center of the bat-ten to the board, as set forth.

2. The combination, with a sign-board, A, of a batten, 0, extending in a direction crosswise of the grain of the wood, and each end of the batten secured to the board by a loopkeeper, E, which is adapted to slide on the battenwhen the board shrinks, and a single fastening to prevent the batten from moving endwise, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. JOEY. \Vitnesses: JNo. T. 1VIADIDOX,

J NO. E. MORRIS. 

